Craig Abaya is an artist from San Francisco, California. He is a musician, songwriter, producer, video director, photographer, and web designer.[1] He serves as director of San Francisco State University's Extended Learning Multimedia Studies and Music/Recording Industry programs, as well as running the school's Digital Video Intensive. He has won ten Billboard songwriting awards.[2]

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Early life

Abaya is a native of San Francisco's Bernal Heights neighborhood.[2] Abaya became involved with music during childhood, taking up the piano at age six, the drums at age eleven, and the guitar at age twelve.[2]

At seventeen, Abaya enrolled at San Francisco State University. Initially a psychology major, he ultimately proposed a special major in multimedia, combining studies in film, video, computers and electronics.[3]

Education career

Abaya earned his first teaching experience at SFSU's Graduate Film school while he was still an undergraduate.[3] Abaya eventually took a full-time position teaching at Silicon Valley University.[4]

Abaya served as the program coordinator for an intensive program in web development at San Francisco State University.[5]

Abaya directs the Digital Video Intensive, a digital film-making program at San Francisco State University.[6] He also directs San Francisco State University's Extended Learning Multimedia Studies and Music/Recording Industry programs.[3]

Filmmaking

In 2002, Apple Computer approached Abaya with an opportunity to make a feature film with a student crew. With a team of students and sponsors, he directed "Bruce Hornsby Live at Villa Montalvo" for DIRECTV.[7]

In 2008, Abaya became a video director at the Bridge School. The school, which is for children with severe speech and physical impairments, was founded by Neil Young and Pegi Young.[3]

Music career

During his teens, Abaya formed his first professional band, the grunge/metal trio "Apparition" in Daly City, California. After disbanding "Apparition," Abaya acquired his own recording equipment and founded the 4-piece group "The Basics" and later, "Abaya," in an attempt to merge his two divergent musical endeavors.

In 2009, Abaya released his first solo album, The Fine Art of Politics. Abaya also directed and edited his first music video of the song "Silly Sentimental Fool" for release in 2010.